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Ontario taxpayers will spend between $79 million to $90 million on the province’s 41st general election, Chief Electoral Officer Greg Essensa says.

The 35-day campaign got under way officially Wednesday and wraps up on June 12 when voters head to the polls.

Essensa said their goal is to give voters plenty of opportunities to make their political wishes known, including at 800 advance polls, through mail-in ballots and even in home visits where needed.

“For electors, there are still many days and many ways to vote,” Essensa said.

Elections Ontario has assembled 45,000 poll kits that include accessibility tools such as easy-grip pencils, Braille templates and magnifiers for voters who need some assistance.

Telephone or Internet voting will not be available this time around although they are a possibility in the future, Essensa said.

“It’s fundamentally right now a security issue,” he said.

Elections Ontario also keeps a rein on spending by political parties and candidates.

Essensa said he would like to see the next Ontario legislature tighten up the spending rules for so-called “third parties,” groups outside the political parties.

Spending by outside groups hoping to influence the election have skyrocketed in recent years in Ontario.

“When I look across the country, we are the only jurisdiction that has no spending limit and has no contribution limit,” Essensa said. “As well, third party advertisers only have to provide information to me during the period of the writ and 30 days after, leaving the period leading up to that completely nontransparent.”